A defense minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is currently looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, and staff have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recent appearance on a radio station, a defence minister commented on reports that MoD staff have been told not to talk about secret information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister said that the ministry is “looking into” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, however noted that safety is a issue in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re driving a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their car, not to have conversations at a classified classification in any car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in all vehicle, to only have those secret conversations in protected areas. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for anyone concerned about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Context
The announcement comes as claims from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable China to switch off buses and bring disruption to public transit.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” act by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of robust protocols and caution in every areas of government activities, from vehicle use to discussions habits.
